JINX Companion: Unlocking Magic's Greatest Magazine - Softcover

Conley, Craig; Meyer, Gordon; Turner, Fredrick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1460952804 ISBN 13: 9781460952801

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2011

Synopsis

It's usually spoken in hushed tones and with a sly smile: "It's in The JINX." It's exactly the sort of answer an experienced magician loves to give for the source of a just-performed killer trick. Not only are some of today's "new" tricks derived from items originally published in The JINX (1934-42), but its creator Theodore Annemann was the original magic blogger. Every month, in his spirited editorial column, Annemann praised -- and more often condemned -- magic and magicians. Working as a professional mind reader, and known to the magic community through his prolific early publications and contributions, Annemann became ensconced in a scene that was the center of American magic. His legacy is a landmark work. Its thousand pages stand like a massive, intricately forged armored door with no easily detectable keyhole among myriad distractions. It's easy to get overwhelmed. Uncovering the priceless subtleties contained within The JINX demands about a year's intensive study -- or the right lock picking set. Each chapter of the JINX Companion could be likened to a lock picking tool. Its introduction is a torsion wrench, establishing a "constant" while the reader shifts into a proper feel for the material. Its "Secrets and Mysteries" chapters are half-diamond picks, offering easy access to vital individual elements (such as long-forgotten methods ripe for revival -- gems of a practical nature). Its "Signs and Wonders" chapters are warded picks (a.k.a. skeleton keys), allowing for internal manipulations (compelling notional springboards such as mind-expanding aphorisms and mythological allusions -- gems of a cerebral nature).

About this title

Review

"This is like taking a jungle safari with a guide who loves the terrain.  It's a trip you shouldn't miss." --Jamy Ian Swiss for Genii

"This is a delightful book.  It's clever, it's witty, it's thorough, and it's beautiful." --Steve Bryant for Little Egypt Magic

"Track it down.  You should find it fun and more than worth your time." --Steve Beam, The Trapdoor

Lots of great surprises... Also enjoyable are the quirky asides, such as a discourse on the symbolism of the pocket handkerchief, a chronicling of Annemann's use of hyphens, a collection of Annemann anagrams, and forays into etymology and archetypal psychology.  Great fun! --Allan Zola Kronzek, author of The Sorcerer's Companion

"Yours is a worthy cause.  I hope the Companion reaches a wide audience." --Karl Fulves, author of Self-Working Card Tricks

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1460952804
• ISBN 13: 9781460952801
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 150